shortage news stories on Newser

US Has Huge Shortage of Primary Care Docs

Jess Kilby — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:41:10 CDT

Congress may be unable to agree on the details of an overhauled health care system, but there’s one fact on which there’s little debate: America urgently needs more primary care doctors. Experts predict the nationwide shortage of family physicians will reach 40,000 within the next decade, a shortfall that...

Doctor Shortage Could Hurt Obama Health Care Plans

Clay Dillow — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:00:00 CDT

President Obama's ambitious plants to expand health care for millions of currently uninsured Americans while simultaneously meeting the needs of aging boomers, may be stymied not only by politics-as-usual but a shortage of primary care physicians, the New York Times reports. Officials are weighing several options, including increasing Medicare payments...

LA Moves to Ration Water

Rob Quinn — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:11:12 CST

Los Angeles is taking steps toward rationing water for the first time since 1991, reports Reuters. The LA Department of Water and Power has approved a plan to charge a penalty rate for water use over a set monthly limit that will take effect in May unless it is vetoed...

Russia Halts All Gas to Europe Via Ukraine

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 06:01:18 CST

Having slowed to a trickle yesterday, Russia today shut off all its gas supplies to Europe through Ukraine, the latest move in a pricing dispute that has affected fuel deliveries to a dozen countries during a winter cold snap. Gazprom, the Russian state gas company, blamed Ukraine for shutting down...

EU Faces Crisis as Russia Cuts Off Gas

Jason Farago — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:08:25 CST

European nations from Austria to Greece lost most or all of their gas supplies today, as a showdown between Russia and Ukraine imperiled the entire continent. Last night Gazprom, the Russian state gas company, cut its supply by 60% to punish Ukraine for allegedly stealing fuel that should flow through...

Nurses With Doctorates Ease Shortage

Jim O'Neill — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:57:42 CDT

As part of the effort to counter the worsening doctor shortage, some 200 American nursing schools plan to train "hybrid practitioners" with doctorates in nursing practice who can function as independent primary care givers. But even as the concept of the DNP catches on, some physicians and nurse practitioners are...

Guaranteed Wii ... Come January

Michael O'Connor — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:25:14 CST

Kids hoping to score a Nintendo Wii this Christmas might have to settle for a skimpy rain check instead, the Los Angeles Times reports. Nintendo has completely sold out of its popular video-game console and won't be shipping any new units until January. Instead, buyers can reserve systems with full-price...

By Any Means Necessary: Buying a Wii

Nick McMaster — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 12:26:26 CST

The holiday-season shortage of Nintendo’s Wii console is fostering some creative shopping strategies, shared on a number of websites devoted to tracking down the device, the Washington Post reports. One advises Wii hopefuls not to ask store employees when the next shipment will arrive—instead, ask when the last one...

Nintendo's Wii Shortage Is Good Business Strategy

Nick McMaster — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:00:02 CST

Nintendo’s Wii is proving hard to find in the holiday rush, a phenomenon the Wall Street Journal says is indicative of the Japanese company’s cautious culture—but also good business sense. Nintendo is cautious for a reason: it saw its fortunes rise with the original NES and SNES consoles, only...